Aussie test players to miss Champs League

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's international cricketers will miss the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League later this year due to touring commitments, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Sunday.

The 15-match competition, which involves eight teams from domestic Twenty20 competitions from England, India, South Africa and Australia, will be held over a 10-day period in late September and early October in either the Middle East or India.

Prize money for the competition has been set in excess of $5million.

Each country will be represented by the winner and runner-up of their respective domestic Twenty20 competitions.

Australia's internationals, however, are committed to playing in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and to a tour of India, CA chief executive James Sutherland told reporters.

"I think leading into the test series which starts in the first week of October, it is unlikely that any of our test players are able to play," Sutherland said.

Sutherland added he hoped the competition would become an annual event as Twenty20 was used to attract new fans to both test and one-day cricket.

"Test cricket is strong but I think we can make it stronger around the world," he added.

"I think there is room for all three forms of the game to be preserved and protected. But I think if we can get a little bit of extra structure around future tour program events then I think there is great potential for all three games to thrive.

"Obviously each of those four countries have a domestic Twenty20 competition each year, and we'd like to think the winners of each of those competitions can play off on an annual basis."

Australia will be represented by Victoria and Western Australia while the Titans from Pretoria and KwaZulu Natal Dolphins from South Africa and Indian teams from Rajasthan and Chennai will be joined by the two teams who contest England's final on July 26.